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Ryan Nicholson, 1

Name: Ryan Nicholson


Research Paper
December 20, 2018

Pros and Cons for High School Standardized Tests

The United States is in turmoil. Over the last 150 years, a considerably large

amount of data has been collected on standardized testing in high school. Much debate

exists regarding whether or not states should require students to pass standardized

tests in order to graduate.

Unless a student goes to a private school, chances are they will have to take a

standardized test (New Moon Girls). Because of the No Child Left Behind Act schools

are required to issue standardized tests to students. These tests will judge their

knowledge about a subject and determine whether or not they pass.

China is a major player in the battle for education. Dating back to approximately

the 7th century, the Chinese have used tests as a measure of one’s knowledge.

Recently, in 2009, China topped the PISA rankings (a worldwide census reflecting level

of education by country focusing in reading, math and science), effectively beating the

former champion, Finland (Top Test Scores).

Some anti-testing activists will argue that standardized testing is dramatically

narrowing the curriculum (Death and Life). Arguments have risen over the fact that

teachers are required to bend their curriculums to meet the strict expectations of

standardized tests. People worry that this bending of the curriculum will limit the

student’s learning. However, others may argue that “Standardized tests are not

narrowing the curriculum, rather they are focusing it on important basic skills all

students need to master” (Limiting the Unintended of High-Stakes). This argument


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based on a study from 2005 where teachers in Minnesota were questioned about

standardized testing and their curriculums. Teachers responded with positive comments

on the test’s effect on teaching.

Standardized tests are a tremendous source of data at a relatively low cost (Stop

the War Against). Each year data is collected from millions of students all over the

world. This data is collected to tell how good a certain school is; pushing schools to

encourage students to perform higher on mandated tests. Costs for imposing these

tests are also extremely small compared to other spending.

In an article by Illinois CITL, they mention how multiple-choice questions in tests

provide accurate and reliable results pertaining to the test-taker’s skill (Improving Your

Test Questions). Consequently, multiple choice questions take the cake for popularity

on standardized tests. Not only do teachers enjoy using multiple choice questions, they

are favored by students as well.

The entire goal of grade school through senior year of high school is preparing

the students for college. Schools want to take students in, train them up and send them

on their way as functioning adults; standardized tests are an excellent way to

accomplish this goal (The Tests We Know). Students will learn to self-study and retain

information. These skills are extremely useful in a college scenario, where there is little

discipline and a whole lot expected of students. Colleges are also very test reliant, so

learning how to become a good test taker is very beneficial.

Many people even distrust the teacher’s own grading scale. Depending on the

teacher, the teacher may grade more on effort and participation rather than mastery of

the skill (Characteristics of). Standardized testing eliminates this practicing requiring
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teachers to grade based on achievement and knowledge of the subject-matter. This

practice ensures that passing students actually know the knowledge they are meant to.

On the topic of making sure students know what they are supposed to know

upon graduation, standardized tests help prevent a practice called “social promotion”

(Taking Responsibility). Social promotion essentially allows a failing student to pass

onto the next grade level anyway, hoping that it will increase the student’s self-worth.

This is obviously a problem when some of the student’s classes for the year build on

knowledge from previous allegedly passed classes. Standardized tests require students

to pass them in order to move onto the next grade level and/or class.

Many test skeptics will also argue that standardized tests can discriminate

between English and non-English speakers alike, this also goes for students coping with

disabilities (Unanswered Questions of standardized testing). Students who are not

native speakers of the language will struggle at understanding questions as presented

to them (Ten Moral). Use of slightly complex dialect may send their minds astray.

Obviously, this isn't ideal when testing a student’s knowledge in a subject. Standardized

regulatory testing can end up providing inaccurate representation of such a student’s

understanding of the subject. Students with an IEP because of disabilities also suffer

here (Opting Out). These students may require extra time, redirection, and might even

need the questions read aloud for better understanding. Not having correct

accommodations may yield inaccurate data concerning these students as well.

One big phrase being tossed around is “Teaching to the test”. Teaching to the

test is the practice of just focusing only on material only on the test purely by

memorizing information but not understanding it. Teachers may just hand out sheet that
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look exactly like the test but very different, a clone of sorts, for practice by students

(Popham). It is widely argued that teaching like this won’t better prepare students for the

working world.

Another issue standardized tests are criticized with is the amount of stress it

causes in students (Unintended Consequences of Standardized testing). Taking tests

can be by far one of the most stressful things in a school year. Students may spend

months or maybe even the whole year studying and practicing to make sure they ace it.

In many high schools, if a student doesn't pass his state’s standardized test, even if they

pass the class, they won't be able to move onto the next grade or class level.

Before being taken over by China, Finland sat proudly at number one on the

PISA chart. Finland doesn't actually use official standardized tests in ranking schools

and students (Assessment for Learning). Finland has achieved its status using

“assessments that encourage students to be active learners who can find, analyze, and

use information to solve problems in novel situations” (Darling-Hammond and

McCloskey).

One of the problems with mandating standardized tests in high schools is that

rather than prepare students for future life and work skills, it just makes them good at

taking tests (Assessment for Learning Around the World). This tends to make students

learn how to memorize and spit back information rather than learning how to apply skills

in real life. The argument stands that students should be taught how to apply knowledge

and also be taught how to become lifelong learners.

There is a considerable amount of controversy on the topic of requiring

standardized tests. Each side has a fair amount of information to throw at the other. The
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question everyone in education is asking themselves is, should the United States

change their education system?

Works Cited

“Improving Your Test Questions.” CITL, Center for Teaching Excellence, _citl.illinois.edu/citl-
101/measurement-evaluation/exam-scoring/improving-your-test-que_stions.

Popham, W. James. “Teaching to the Test?” How Student Progress Monitoring Improves
Instruction - Educational Leadership, www.ascd.org/publications/educational-
leadership/mar01/vol58/num06/Teaching-to-the-Test%C2%A2.aspx.

Darling-Hammond, Linda, and Laura McCloskey. Assessment for Learning Around the World:
What Would It Mean to Be “Internationally Competitive?”
standardizedtests.procon.org/sourcefiles/assessment-for-learning-around-the-world-
what-would-it-mean-to-be-internationally-competitive.pdf.

Alcocer, Paulina. “History of Standardized Testing in the United States.” NEA,


www.nea.org/home/66139.htm.

“Standardized Tests - ProCon.org.” ProConorg Headlines, 23 Oct. 2018,


standardizedtests.procon.org/.

"Standardized tests." New Moon Girls, Sept.-Oct. 2009, p. 19. Student Resources in Context,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A207391637/GPS?u=va_s_128_0030&sid=GPS&xid
=9cee0777. Accessed 17 Dec. 2018.

Sam Dillon, "Top Test Scores from Shanghai Stun Educators," www.nytimes.com, Dec. 7,
2010

Diane Ravitch, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, 2010

Stuart S. Yeh, "Limiting the Unintended Consequences of High-Stakes Testing" , Education


Policy Analysis Archives, Oct. 28, 2005

Herbert J. Walberg, "Stop the War Against Standardized Tests,” Defining Ideas, May 2011

Louis V. Gerstner Jr., "The Tests We Know We Need,” New York Times, Mar. 14, 2002

Richard P. Phelps, "Characteristics of an Effective Student Testing System” (64 KB),


npe.educationnews.org (accessed June 21, 2011)
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US Department of Education, "Taking Responsibility for Ending Social Promotion”,


www.ed.gov, May 1999

Valerie Strauss, "Unanswered Questions About Standardized Tests,” Washington Post, Apr.
26, 2011

National Council of Churches Committee on Public Education and Literacy, "Ten Moral
Concerns in the Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act” www.ncccusa.org
(accessed June 21, 2011)

Katherine McKnight, PhD, "Opting Out of NCLB Testing,” www.katherinemcknight.com, Mar.


25, 2011

Gregory J. Cizek, "Unintended Consequences of High Stakes Testing - P-12,” Educational


Measurement: Issues and Practice, Sep. 2001

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